History
Established in 1942 as a baccalaureate program, the Division initiated the nation’s first Occupational Therapy Post Professional degree program in 1947. It inaugurated the world’s first doctoral program in Occupational Science in 1989. In the first national ranking of Occupational Therapy graduate programs in 1998, U.S. News and World Report ranked USC’s Occupational Therapy graduate program as #1 in the nation.
An international leader in education, research, and clinical practice, the Division is devoted to understanding the fundamental nature and importance of purposeful activities (occupations) to humans, and the role of balanced occupation in promoting health and wellness in all people. Occupations are used therapeutically with persons facing physical or psychosocial challenges to restore skills or promote rehabilitation.
Timeline: The Twentieth Century (PDF)
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